Your Right to Protest Peacefully is Protected
Peaceful protest is a time-honored tradition in the United States, far more than in most countries. People do not get arrested for peaceful protests in this country. Sometimes they cross legal lines – trespassing, vandalism, assault, and other crimes that go beyond peacefully advocating a point of view – but protesters in such circumstances are […]
Do I Have to Identify Myself to the Police?
Texas law on identifying yourself to police is pretty specific. Whether you have to identify yourself to police – or provide identification documents – is a situational thing. Usually, you do not have to provide police with your identity or identifying documents, but there are certain specific circumstances in which you are required to provide […]
Hold On – Aggravated Kidnapping?
Many people probably are surprised to find that kidnapping can be a state crime and not just a federal crime. Imagine their surprise when they find that aggravated kidnapping can be added to the state charges. Most people probably associate kidnapping charges with the federal government – the Federal Bureau of Investigation generally takes the […]
Many Forms of Surveillance are Illegal
Modern life is full of things that did not exist even 20 years ago. Many of these things, such as smartphones, social media, and other electronic devices and services, make it easy to keep track of someone else’s movements. On social media, for instance, many people voluntarily put up posts telling the world where they […]
Indecent Assault is a Relatively New Crime
Indecent assault is a fairly recent addition to the Texas criminal code. In effect only since September 2019, the crime is not a major crime in the when it comes to Texas sex-related crimes, but it is not something to sneeze at, either. Any crime that can send you to jail, cost you thousands of […]
Criminal Mischief Has a Deceptive Name
Criminal mischief sounds like something that teenagers get into before they know better. It may be against the law, but mostly harmless, and certainly no big deal. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is true that the least serious of charges possible under the Texas criminal mischief statute is a minor crime, […]
Attempted Murder Charges? You Still Have Options
In Texas, as in the rest of the United States, attempting to commit a crime is itself a crime. The attempt is not as serious as actually committing the crime, but it still can put you in a world of trouble. For instance, attempted shoplifting is a crime, but it will be even less serious […]
Criminally Negligent Homicide Ruins Lives
Texas has many degrees of homicide, even though the state does not refer to the crimes in that fashion. There are four levels of homicide charges in Texas. They range in punishment from a state jail felony all the way up to the potential for life in prison or even the death penalty. None of […]
If You are Facing Federal Charges, You Need a Lawyer
Federal criminal charges cover a lot more area than they used to. In the early days of the republic, there were few federal criminal charges. After the ratification of the Constitution, Congress passed a law creating a total of 17 federal crimes. These included treason, forgery of federal documents, and murder within a federal facility, […]
Some Charges Mean You Should Call a Lawyer Right Away
There are criminal charges, and then there are criminal charges. For some charges, you might wonder whether you really need to get a lawyer. Those tend to be misdemeanor charges. Even then, you usually would be dealing with lower level misdemeanor charges. Once you get into felony territory, you should not even question whether […]